[ELI5] How do transistors work? What makes 3 chucks of silicon put together able to turn on and off?

Question

[ELI5] How do transistors work? What makes 3 chucks of silicon put together able to turn on and off?

In: 18

Answer 1

A transistor is a miniature semiconductor that regulates or controls current or voltage flow in addition amplifying and generating these electrical signals and acting as a switch/gate for them. Typically, transistors consist of three layers, or terminals, of a semiconductor material, each of which can carry a current.